This volume is based on the lectures given at the First Inter University Graduate School on Gravitation and Cosmology organized by IUCAA, Pune, in 1989. This series of Schools have been carefully planned to provide a sound background and preparation for students embarking on research in these and related topics. Consequently, the contents of these lectures have been meticulously selected and arranged. The topics in the present volume offer a firm mathematical foundation for a number of subjects to be de veloped later. These include Geometrical Methods for Physics, Quantum Field Theory Methods and Relativistic Cosmology. The style of the book is pedagogical and should appeal to students and research workers attempt ing to learn the modern techniques involved. A number of specially selected problems with hints and solutions have been included to assist the reader in achieving mastery of the topics. We decided to bring out this volume containing the lecture notes since we felt that they would be useful to a wider community of research workers, many of whom could not participate in the school. We thank all the lecturers for their meticulous lectures, the enthusiasm they brought to the discussions and for kindly writing up their lecture notes. It is a pleasure to thank G. Manjunatha for his meticulous assistence over a long period, in preparing this volume for publication.

Klappentext

This volume is based on the lectures given at the First Inter-University Graduate School on Gravitation and Cosmology organized by IUCAA, Pune, India. The material offers a firm mathematical foundation for a number of subjects including geometrical methods for physics, quantum field theory methods and relativistic cosmology. It brings together the most basic and widely used techniques of theoretical physics today. A number of specially selected problems with hints and solutions have been added to assist the reader in achieving mastery of the topics. Audience: The style of the book is pedagogical and should appeal to graduate students and research workers who are beginners in the study of gravitation and cosmology or related subjects such as differential geometry, quantum field theory and the mathematics of physics. This volume is also recommended as a textbook for courses or for self-study.

Inhalt

1. Geometrical methods for physics.- 2. Problems on geometrical methods for physics.- 3. Tetrads, the Newman-Penrose formalism and spinors.- 4. Problems on tetrads, the Newman-Penrose formalism and spinors.- 5. Aspects of quantum field theory.- 6. Quantum field theory methods, Dirac equation and perturbation theory.- 7. Relativistic cosmology.- 8. The cosmological constant: A tutorial.